Like father, like son

SUSSEX BOROUGH — It’s said to be rare for a high school junior to take a test to become a Certified Apple Professional, and unheard of for such an individual to pass any such test; but High Point High School junior Garrett Fenlon, 17, of Wantage has done just that.

Traveling into New York City on May 29 to take the 40-minute-long Final Cut Pro X end user exam at Future Media Concepts Computer Training School, Fenlon’s knowledge, skills and efficiency in Apple video-editing program Final Cut Pro X were challenged.

“When I was finished, I had the biggest grin on my face,” Fenlon said of his accomplishment. “A lot of it is interactive problem-solving and memorization with visual recognition cues. My score was 81.3 percent, and you need at least a score of 81 percent to pass. It was scary, but I did it.”

Having studied Media Technology in school, Fenlon considered himself well-prepared to take the exam, especially with all the support he received from his Media Technology teacher — who also happens to be his father.

With the school district more than 24 years, Technology Instructor Kevin Fenlon has been teaching Media Technology six years at High Point High. Fenlon passed the Final Cut Pro X user exam two years ago.

“It’s beyond my realm," he said. "Professionals design the test, and it changes all of the time. I could only guide Garrett and help him prepare for it to a certain degree. The rest was on him.”

According to Fenlon, the Final Cut program helps beginners and seasoned professionals achieve “stunning” results in the field of video editing. Garrett became familiar with the program’s “powerful cutting-edge features” in his Independent Study course over the course of the 2014-15 school year.

Up next for the media student is proving his proficiency in the field even further by becoming certified in Motion, Apple’s other premiere professional software program with an interface designed to allow video editors to use motion graphics tools for the sake of creating appealing titles, transitions and effects.

To prepare for this next exam, Garrett will study motion his senior year in another Independent Study course before traveling to New York again in May 2016.

Fenlon, Sr. explains the $250-fee makes taking any Apple Certification Exam a risk.

“If you fail, you have to pay the fee again. With that said, we’re hoping as some of our students graduate, they will be able to walk out with an Apple certification either in Final Cut or Motion to put on their resumes. In the 2015-16 school year, I’m taking on five students in Independent Study courses that are willing to put in the work to become Apple-certified. We’re hoping our students master the more complex programs even before their instructors do.”

According to Fenlon, if a student is entering into the field of digital media, there are three major software editing platforms to follow: Apple, Adobe and Avid.

“Having the Apple brand behind Garrett puts him off to a great start in the work field," Fenlon said. "I’m not saying that as his ‘Dad,’ but as his instructor. I would rather hire someone who is already certified, has experience using the product and has a thorough, in-depth knowledge of the product than have to train a new hire. It’s about visibility and desirability in a competitive occupational marketplace.”

Garrett’s ultimate goal is to become a video editor either in television or film production. He is currently paid by Portrayal Press, the world’s leading supplier of military vehicle manuals, to produce YouTube tutorial videos that promote the company’s products.

“The more knowledge I have in different editing software, the more flexible I’ll be within the work field,” he said.

In addition to his career pursuits Garrett Fenlon and a group of classmates competed in the Technology Student Association State competition at the College of New Jersey in Ewing this past May and took first place in their division. The group will travel to Dallas, Texas, to compete in nationals from June 28 through July 2, where they will have 48 hours to shoot a video and limited time to edit and submit it for review.